Composite abrasive products, such as wheels or abrading pads, are formed by adhering abrasive particles by means of an organic polymer to the fibers of a nonwoven fiber web. Multiple plies of such webs are then laminated to form a slab from which the products may be cut or the web may be wound spirally to form a log from which products in the form of wheels may be cut. Applications of these widely used abrasive products, usually referred to as "composite abrasives", include polishing, deburring, finishing, and cleaning of metallic parts. They may also find extensive applications in the finishing of wooden furniture.
The abrasive grit is most frequently fused alumina but other grits such as silicon carbide, fused alumina/zirconia and sol-gel alumina abrasive grits have been proposed.
The most commonly used organic binder for use in composite wheels is a polyurethane such as is described for example composite wheels is a polyurethane such as is described for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,011,063; 4,078,340; 4,609,380; 4,933,373 and 5,290,903. Other binders that may be used include acrylic polymers, phenolic resins, melamine resins, polyvinyl chloride and polyvinyl acetate.